Abstract

COSMECEUTICAL APPLICATIONS OF BEE VENOM

Tanmai Ayachit*, Dr. Nibha Bajpai, Dr. Sangeeta Sahasrabuddhe and Dr. Deepak Wasule

Abstract

God has created & gifted us various creatures on earth which are very useful to mankind. From thousands of years, "Honey Bees" are one among such creatures which are getting used for their medicinal properties and also bee based products. The use of these bee based products is called as “Apitherapy”, where the Bee Venom is most importantly used for various treatments. Bee Venom is also known as “Apitoxin”, which is composed of 18 pharmacologically active compounds including enzymes, peptides and amines. As a natural ingredient, Bee Venom has raised popularity due to its variety of potential health and skin benefits. It is used cosmetically because it has a potential to 'fool' the skin into thinking that it has been stung by the toxin, resulting in the body to direct blood towards the area thereby stimulating the production of the naturally occurring chemicals collagen and elastin. However, external application of Bee Venom may cause minor side effects; therefore proper allergy test should be performed by medical professional. The main aim of this review is to summarize about the production of bee venom, extraction method, major components of bee venom, and benefits of venom in skin care.

Keywords: Apitherapy, Bee Venom, Bee Sting, Cosmetic Applications, Honey Bee.